Head injuries are the most frequent, and especially most dangerous ones. They are associated with a high probability of a serious or even fatal injury.
Technical requirements for personal protective aids, which include head protection as well, are stipulated by law. The law, however, does not directly prescribe the obligation to wear head protection. It delegates this obligation on an employer that usually orders wearing helmets.
You do not have to work at a construction site to suffer a head injury. You can use a helmet, for example, during the reconstruction of your house, while working with a car, or at a loft where there is a threat of unpleasant collision with a beam. Although head protection should be priority, many people still underestimate it.
A cap is sufficient and you are protected
When selecting a right helmet, you must define risks at first. If there is only a danger of hitting a non-moving structure, a cap with a plastic reinforcement will do the job. It looks like a baseball cap and weighs only 150 g. Nobody will know that you have a helmet and at the same time you will be protected from injuries and fines. You can also choose a length of the eyeshade according to the environment you are working in.
A cap with reinforcement complies with EN 812 - Industrial bump caps. Helmets which resist the fall of a 5 kg weight from the height of 25 cm comply with this standard. However, they are not able to absorb an impact of an object falling from a higher height.
Does it come to the crunch? Reach for a safety helmet!
In case of danger that an object falls on your head, e.g. tools at a construction site, you need a more rigid protection. The heavier an object than can fall on you, the stricter standards the helmet must comply with.
Requirements for resistance are sometimes also associated with electric power or heat resistance. Other standards include:
- EN 397 - Industrial safety helmets.
- EN 14052 - High performance industrial helmets.
- EN 12492 - Mountaineering equipment - Helmets for mountaineers.
- EN 50365 - Electrically insulating helmets for use on low voltage installations.
For helmets to comply with these requirements, they must be thoroughly tested. How the testing is like is shown in videos of JSP. You can see how a helmet can resist an impact, and how a melon can(not).
We supply helmets with various eyeshade lengths. When working outdoors, you will appreciate a longer eyeshade or a rain channel. When working at heights, reach for a helmet without an eyeshade which prevents viewing upwards.
Discomfort? Certainly not! You will not want to take the helmet off.
Advantages of helmets are not limited to head protection. If there is a danger of face injury, e.g. when working in the forest, add an all-face shield to the helmet. You need not worry that safety elements would worsen your communication with others. Just buy integrated headphones with a communication device which will connect you with your colleagues and at the same time will protect your hearing.
Do not underestimate eye protection either. Protective spectacles can also form part of a helmet so you will never leave them anywhere and they will be always at hand. You can find all the accessories here.